A Hearty Mexican Beef Stew Infused with Rich Mole Flavors

Pot of mole de olla with garnishes and fresh tortillas

February 2, 2024

This one-pot Mexican beef stew is packed with veggies and rich in flavor due to the purée of dried chiles that both season and flavor it which give it its name. Don't be intimidated by the name: the term mole comes from the Nahuatl mol-li, which can mean both sauce (like the famous ones of Puebla and Oaxaca) and soup, as it does in this Central Mexican dish. A hearty and healthy comfort food, mole de olla is what we crave in the colder months.

Versions of mole de olla vary from region to region, but this particular recipe, lightly adapted from Mely Martínez of Mexico In My Kitchen, features tender cuts of oxtail and beef shank, enhanced with dried chiles for smokiness, and simmered alongside hearty vegetables such as corn, chayotes, carrots and xoconostles. If you're curious about xoconostle — pronounced 'soh-koh-NOHS-tleh' — think of it as the long-distant cousin of the prickly pear. These cactus fruits bring a delightful tart and citrusy flavor to the caldo, if you can find them (if not, feel free to leave them out). Despite its complex flavor, this dish requires only a few hands-on steps.

Mole de Olla

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Servings

Ingredients

For Caldo:

1 ½ lbs oxtail
1 ½ lbs beef shank
½ medium white onion
3 garlic cloves
4 bay leaves
2 corn cobs, cut into 3 pieces each
1 chayote, cut in quarters
3 small carrots, cut into large pieces (about 1 inch each)
3 xoconostles, peeled, sliced thick, and seeds removed
2 small potatoes, cut into quarters
2 small calabacitas, cut into quarters
8 cups water

For Mole Sauce:

2 ancho chiles, cleaned and deveined
3 pasilla chiles, cleaned and deveined
1 garlic clove
¼ medium white onion
1 medium tomato
Salt and pepper to taste

To Serve:

½ white onion, finely chopped
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 serrano peppers, finely chopped
4-6 lime wedges
Fresh tortillas

Directions

Rinse the meat and pat dry. In a large stockpot, combine meat, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Add 8 cups of water or enough to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove any foam that rises.
While the meat cooks, prepare the mole sauce. Char the chiles on a comal, then soak them in hot water for 15 minutes. On the same comal, char the tomato, garlic, and onion. Once charred, combine the softened chiles, tomato, onion, garlic, and a cup of beef broth from the caldo. Blend until smooth.
Check your meat for tenderness. Once the meat reaches the desired tenderness, remove the garlic, onion, and bay leaves. Add the sauce to the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes. After those 10 minutes, incorporate the vegetables, beginning with the pieces of corn. Approximately 8-10 minutes later, add the xoconostle, chayote, and carrots. About 3 minutes following that, introduce the potatoes and calabacitas. Stir the caldo and allow it to simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the vegetables have reached your preferred level of softness.
Serve with fresh tortillas and garnish with onions, cilantro, and lime.

A Hearty Mexican Beef Stew Infused with Rich Mole Flavors

A Hearty Mexican Beef Stew Infused with Rich Mole Flavors

Mole de Olla

Servings

Ingredients

For Caldo:

For Mole Sauce:

To Serve:

Directions

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